“The more you fight yourself, the worse it will get,” he said as she looked at him. “I don’t like telling the future. Most castings are not completely honest. They give an idea and not actual facts.” He walked up to her and a wave of fear swept her body as he touched her face. “The more you let go, the greater the regret will be. The tighter you hold on to something, the more you lose it. When I first saw you, I thought you were weak. But now I see that your reputation doesn’t do you any justice. For the moment, I will give you what you want. But know this, when it’s all said and done, I will make you mine. That you can be certain of.” Her body trembled as she was helpless to move. He leaned in, his mouth just inches away from hers. “You think you know what is best. You think rejoining the curse will make all of this go away. You are sealing your fate. You listen to others and doubt yourself. They all will die, make no mistake about that.” His lips brushed hers and she parted her lips to return the kiss. When the kiss was over, he said, “Delicious. I wish I could taste you, make you scream my name. But that will have to wait, my pretty. Your fate is being controlled by others. You think you have no choice but to listen. When you feel your weakest, and you about to lose everything to save them, be the woman you were born to be. Be what you were born to be.”
“What is that?” she said with fear in her voice, using every bit of strength she had not to grab him and kiss him again. The urge to fuck him was overwhelming. She could feel her panties getting wet just from standing close to him.
His finger stroked the side of her face. “A dancer. That is what and who you are. The world has only forgotten us.” He kissed her again and she moaned as his kiss made her come.
He walked away. “What would the God of the Dance want with me?” she said in a near frantic tone, still not able to move.
His laugher echoed in the room. “I am no god. The God of the Dance wouldn’t dare challenge me. The scent of your orgasm is driving me wild. I can’t wait to taste it. The choice is yours. You either listen to your instinct or listen to others. Them dying is going to happen like I said. What is most important now is how they die. I can assure you no one will ever know we had this discussion. They will think what is about to happen will have taken place twice. When the time is right, you will remember this. That is the only way he will return to your life. But like he has always said, be careful what you seek. You may just find it.” He walked out, and Gloria dropped to her knees. She sat there for several moments and made her way to the stall, where she sat for a long time.
Gloria stayed until the place closed. They ate and went home. Everyone had a great time. Clarence thought they were crazy but had a great time.
Catrina and Ramone went home. She got in the bed with Ramone. “You get your wish, Ramone. This is our last year,” she said softly.
Ramone laughed. “I heard that before,” he said sarcastically.
“I do love you, Ramone. This is getting too difficult; this is our last year.”
Ramone gave her a curious look. “What does Frances think of that?”
“She and Logan are still going to compete.”
“They might have a chance to win now.” Catrina didn’t say anything. Ramone pulled her to him. “I am happy this is your last year. Rachel has several contracts in Texas and is opening a terminal there. She offered me the position as terminal manager. I was thinking of taking her up on the offer. We can move and still not be far away from your mom.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“The two of you should win this year,” Ramone said confidently.
“It looks like we might.”
“Britney, Ivan, Bobby, Nicole, you, and Cody. All of you retiring the same year. No more dance mates left to compete. Now that is sad. Not that I am not happy to have you home if you do stop.”
She rolled over. “I love you, Ramone. I just had to do this. It was stronger than I thought. But I stayed true, as best as I could. I only wish my fathers could have seen this. I have a mother that will. I think she is going to compete next year. She mentioned she might.”
“They will see, Catrina, your fathers and mother will see. Frances and Logan are good. Maybe they can win next year. I didn’t think we would make it through this,” Ramone said.
She kissed him. “You are my soul mate.”
Ramone gave her a smile. “Who knows, maybe in a few years, you can have one more year with Bobby and Nicole and Ivan and Britney to give you some competition. Maybe your mom and her new dance mate. She is a wild woman, your mother.”
Catrina smiled. “She is not the only one in my family.”
Ramone laughed slightly. “Yeah, the nut didn’t fall too far from the tree when it comes to you two.”
She gave him a hug. “They can compete if they want. Ramone, you are going to be a father again.” He looked at her. She gave him a hug and then kissed him.
Chapter 24
The Morning After.
It was early afternoon when Bobby opened his eyes. He was looking in Ashley’s eyes. She smiled. “I don’t ever remember having as much fun as I did this morning.” There was a look in his eyes as he didn’t say anything. Bobby felt Gloria kiss him on the back. Bobby smiled.
“Yes, it was incredible.”
Gloria grinned. “I told her she could take you home and rape you. I never said I wasn’t going to follow. Besides, they did something we all wanted very much. She gave up a career.”
He smiled at Ashley. “I am so glad you did.”
“I wouldn’t say that I had a career. I once had a soul, but I lost it. I discovered that I didn’t lose it after all. I wanted to keep it once I found it,” she said, looking at Bobby with her eyes narrowed and a wanting him look upon her face.
Bobby touched her face. “It is a very beautiful one. Don’t you ever forget that, Ash.”
Gloria grinned. “Think I will take a shower and leave you two lovebirds alone.” She started to get up. “We love you, Ashley. I hope you understand he is mine.” She walked out of the room. Ashley smiled. “Any more like you floating around here hiding somewhere?” Bobby kissed her. “You are a lucky man to have someone to care as much as she does.”
Bobby smiled. “I am a lucky man when it comes to everyone in my life, Ash. I love watching Crown and Dumas drool over Gloria and Britney.”
Ashley grinned. “That is hilarious.” He kissed her again. “They are blind not to see you. Ashley, I don’t want to hurt you. I know how you feel about me. You are very special. I don’t know what to say. I am so happy that you are a part of my life. But…”
She rolled over on top of him. “The beautiful good woman always gets the good man. I know that. We can be friends, but for now, I am not letting the one chance I have slip away.” She started sliding down.
Gloria stood in the shower with the water beating down on her back. Tears were in her eyes. ‘Was he my imagination or is he real? He said he wasn’t a god, yet I couldn’t move and I didn’t see him move in any way that could remotely be called dancing. Dunkar is the only person I have read about that would be arrogant enough to say what he did. And powerful enough to do what he done. But our magic comes from dancing. That was more like the compulsion of a vampire. If I tell Sam or anyone about what happened, this is getting to be more than I can take. He could be the reason I couldn’t say stop with Clarence. Ashley is going to fall in love with Bobby. I know he can love her. They will be happy together. I know she will watch after him. I can do it, Stanley. I know I can. Now if I can only keep it together.”
She got out, and after getting dressed, she started cooking. When she got done cooking, she walked to the bedroom door. Ashley was lying in Bobby’s arms. She smiled. “Sounded like the two of you had lots of fun. Breakfast is done.”
“Wow, thanks, I’ll go get cleaned up,” Ashley said in a cheerful voice.
Bobby got up and put on his pants. He walked over to Gloria. �
��I had a wonderful time. It was mind-blowing. I loved every second of this morning and this afternoon.” He kissed her. “But I never want to look in the eyes of a woman that is in love with me knowing she can’t have me. Knowing I can’t give myself to her ever again. She is a very special woman to my heart, Gloria.”
Gloria smiled. “Then tell her that, Bobby. Now that she is not subject to be called away, we can find her someone very special. Tell her you love her. Because you do. I am not one bit jealous of you loving another. I made her very happy; that is something she deserves. They all do.” Gloria walked out of the room.
Bobby walked into the kitchen, got his keys, and said, “I will be right back.” And he walked out of the house.
Ashley came out a few minutes later. “Where is Bobby?”
“Don’t know. He said he would be right back.” Gloria could tell Ashley wanted to say something but remained silent.
Thirty minutes later, he came walking in. Ashley and Gloria both smiled big. He walked over and handed Ashley a dozen red roses with a small teddy bear that said “Someone Special” on the shirt. He gave Gloria the second dozen roses. He kissed Ashley. “I do love you. Don’t forget that.” She gave him a hug.
They ate breakfast. “Baby, you are planning on holding events next year. I think you might want to consider security for the events,” Bobby said with a smile. “With all the advertising, you are doing, security might be needed.”
Gloria grinned. “Need someone with experience. If only I can afford the best.”
Ashley asked curiously, “What does it pay? Never mind, I will take it.”
Bobby commented, “Twenty an hour. Based on forty hours. I got it covered.”
Ashley gave him a confused look. “Isn’t that what you make at Future?”
“Yeah,” he said casually.
Gloria commented, “I will cover ten, he can cover ten. We split overtime. Britney has some great ideas for the restaurant.”
“Ashley can be a backup dancer on top of that when things are slow. For her, fifty an hour,” Bobby suggested.
“As long as she doesn’t shoot the customers,” Gloria said flatly.
Ashley casually replied, “Only if they have paid, if not, then wait until they have paid.”
“I like that. Thinking of the company first.” Bobby smiled at Ashley, and Gloria laughed.
“Why are all of you so nice to us?” Ashley asked in earnest.
Bobby got up. “I’ll go get the kids.” He looked at her. “Why did you risk your life for us? Why do you look after us? Why shouldn’t we love each of you? Tell me what is there not to love. Okay, so you can be cold, heartless at times. But we haven’t ever seen that. What you do keeps us safe. I didn’t realize that until that night with my uncle. Ashley, we would be fools not to reach out to you.” He walked out the door.
Gloria told her what he had said when she went to the bathroom. She also told her what she said to him. Then she said, “You have a good friend in him and me, Ashley.”
Ashley looked at Gloria. “Gloria, so much about what is going on here is strange. But we have all come to expect strange when it comes to all of you. Part of me says keep your mouth shut and roll with the flow. Shit happens; if it happens it happens. But I think you are stupid to share him with any woman. He is a good man, something that is hard to find at times. God, the things he can do in the bed are incredible. He has a heart and is not afraid of using it, and shows he has one.
“You are beautiful; everyone can see that. But when it comes to the heart, things are different. The heart doesn’t have eyes to see. It doesn’t have ears to hear. But it can feel everything the eyes see and the ears hear. You are not the only woman that can please a man. I may think of you as a friend, and I do. But I want you to know if he comes to me, I am not going to stop and think about what you want.
“I am not going to turn him away. I want you to keep that in mind. I don’t know how you are going to take that. So there is one other thing I want you to know. If I didn’t care for you, I would have already seen that you had an accident.”
She started to walk away. Gloria said, “You can try and take him, Ash. But don’t hold your breath on him walking away from me. Everything you said about him is true. I know everything you told me about how you feel and what you would do is true.” Ashley walked away, and Gloria thought, ‘You are the only one that will take him away from me. I am counting on it, Ash. Don’t let me down.’
The next week, Gloria got Crown a job at Future Transportation as a security officer. JD hired Dumas to help him and Daniel farm his family’s land. Britney divided the twenty acres that once belonged to her parents. She gave Ashley, Crown, and Dumas five-acre lots just two miles down the road from her place and four miles from Gloria and Bobby. Crown was building a nice house on his land. Dumas also was building a house. Ashley found a nice mobile home to put on her place. Quiet country living was something none of them thought they would like. But they learned they loved it.
Gloria was sitting at the table one evening when Bobby walked in. “Gloria, I am thinking of hooking Ash up with Wendell. What do you think?”
Gloria thought, ‘That is going to screw my plans up, but I know she would leave him for you.’ With a confused nod, she said, “If you don’t think she will kill him.”
A month went by. Gloria invited Ashley over for dinner with her and Bobby. Daniel wanted the kids for the weekend. Ashley came over and was helping Gloria in the kitchen. Bobby came home from work and went to the game room and started setting up the game table. There was a knock on the door. Gloria went to the door she said, “Hey, Wendell. Bobby is in the game room.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Gloria.”
He walked through the house and went into the family room. Wendell said, “I don’t know how you talked me into playing games on the hottest night of the week for karaoke.”
“Because you are dumb. Help me get this damn table set up.”
“You would think a millionaire would have something nice instead of this raggedy old piece of shit,” Wendell complained.
Bobby shrugged. “It was a gift from Aunt Gina.”
Wendell asked curiously. “How is Big Momma? She still living in Maine?”
“Yeah, I think she is coming down next month for Thanksgiving. I think she and her husband are going to stay with Daniel at the lodge. Daniel got that place looking good.”
“Who would have thought he would quit drinking. But the biggest surprise is Brit with Jake. I still think he threatened her or something. Damn, that girl is fine as hell. I saw her picture on the billboard advertising the dance studio. Then one with Gloria. It made me want to learn to dance, let me tell you.” Bobby nodded but didn’t say anything.
Gloria shouted from the other room, “Guys, food is nearly done. Get cleaned up to eat.”
Ashley gave her a strange look. “Guys?”
“Yeah, Bobby invited a friend over. I didn’t find out until just after you got here.”
Bobby gave Wendell a look. “Man, dumb and dumber tonight. You got me.”
Wendell looked at him with a confused look. “Sure.”
Wendell walked to the bathroom to wash his hands and then to the kitchen. He said, “Wow, grub smells good.”
“Thanks. Wendell, this is Ashley. Ashley, this is Wendell Edman,” Gloria said as she started putting food on the table.
Wendell smiled. “Hey, Ashley.”
“Hi.”
Bobby came walking in. “Has Mom or Mathew been over to the house?”
Gloria thought for a moment. “Mathew the other day. Why?”
“The damn games are gone.”
Gloria complained, “Again, your mother shouldn’t let your brothers play with the games. They always lose the pieces to them.”
“We can go kroking. Joey’s don’t start kicking until nine
or ten anyway. I can give you some sweet music to dance to. You know, flap them wings, you chickens,” Wendell said with a hopeful tone.
“You just want to watch my wife,” Bobby pointed out.
“That too. Why else would I give up singing to come over here. I hope someday she sees you for the loser you are and finds a real man.” He raised his eyebrows up and down several times.
“Let me guess, you are the real man?” Gloria said as she gave him a smile.
“Hell no. I got more dates hanging around with him over the other two idiots that I hang out with. The fantastic four is down to two idiots and me. Back to bros before hos. I hope JD isn’t here.”
Bobby laughed. “Bros and hos.”
“Yeah, talk about the damn pet pea patch. That was your fault, by the way.”
“Was not; you were the older one,” Bobby said defensively.
“Yeah, I remember telling the two of you that was a bad idea,” Wendell said flatly.
“That mule tore the barn down,” Bobby said as he laughed.
Wendell spat, “Yeah, with me on its back.”
“You didn’t fall off. Until the tree, that is,” Bobby said as he continued laughing.
Gloria gave them a curious look. “I don’t think I have ever heard this story.”
“Wendell here wanted to be a rodeo star,” Bobby said, trying to get his laughter under control. “Weren’t no wild horses around. So we got up in the hay loft, put some hay in a metal bucket. Wendell got on Bessy. Yes, that was her name. We got a thick wire set the end to the wire in the bucket. Caught the hay on fire, and the end of the wire that was curved got it red hot. We hooked it right behind Bessy’s tail with Wendell on her back. There was a sizzling sound, a god-awful smell. Bessy farted, then she started bucking and kicking. She kicked the wall down to the stall then another wall.” He laughed out loud. “She went out the barn as it started falling down with me and Britney in the loft. He survived the barn but not the tree. She started bucking and kicking under. She ran out under a tree and round and round the tree she went. But he stayed on for eight seconds. Maybe five seconds more or longer with a tree beating the hell out of him. JD came out the house at just the right moment. The limb knocked him backwards. He rolled off the back of the mule. Both feet caught him in the shoulders. He started doing back flips in the air. He landed on the ground about fifty feet away. He was lying there, not moving. We all ran over to where he was.”
Love and Beyond Part 3 Page 27